CASA Recovery Examines Why a Structured Environment is so Crucial During Recovery

August 2517:442015

A well structured facility brings addicts closer and helps exponentially in the recovery process.

For those addicts who have active lives, careers, and enjoy their families, the idea of inpatient treatment for addiction may seem like overkill.

The idea of a highly structured environment in which they are forced to meditate, participate in group therapy, or endure arts-and-crafts sessions can seem like more torture than recovery. While it’s true that there is the right recovery environment for each person, and that not every therapeutic modality will help everyone get better, there is evidence that a blend of structure and privacy is key to long-lasting recovery and sobriety.

Part of what might be troubling to an addict is the idea of being isolated in a hospital-type setting. Alone, in a white gown, left to stare at the ceiling for hours – this doesn’t sound like a good time to most people. In fact, the modern, licensed treatment centers will rarely place an addict in a hospital setting once the initial stabilizing detox treatments have ended. Some treatment centers offer private rooms, but evidence seems to point to shared accommodations being most helpful during the recovery process. This doesn’t mean they’ll be in a dormitory style or warehouse environment, as some people fear before they enter treatment. Rather, two people sharing a well-appointed and relaxing room and common living areas that allow for conversation, relaxation, reading, and family-style games are the best way to keep stress and anxiety at bay during what can be a difficult adjustment. The best treatment facilities will have a feeling of home and a sense of peace and beauty, which can lead to the sense of connectedness recovering addicts need.

Being able to share the recovery process with a roommate or housemate who is going through the same physical and emotional adjustments allows for a deep bond to be formed. Some recovery patients develop life-long friendships and deeply meaningful connections in treatment. Having the solid foundation of a non-judgmental friend who can speak the language of addiction, and the language of recovery, is a huge benefit that treatment centers can offer to a patient. In addition to the connection a recovering addict needs to have with his therapist and treatment professionals, the human kindness of a friend is significant to a healthy recovery process.